Similar stories trickled out as good samaritans offered advice about crisis situations, and social media became a way to update friends and followers on their status.

Laura Damelio posted a picture of fallen trees cutting off her driveway and tagged it with a series of hashtags: "Officially trapped on the nect #tree #down #hurricane #sandy #mallard #drive #hellp #SOS

Others just vented or updated their followers on their current location.

Gabe Kahn, a professor of journalism and media at the USC Annenberg Innovation, said Twitter has again proven itself as a reliable tool for criss communication.

"Twitter is great and people have used Twitter very expertly in floods in Australia and when they were snowbound in Manhattan," he told TheWrap.

He said social networks connect users with emergency services and journalists.

"Ordinary citizens post information and share out, and draw information from an app so that I can see if there is a fire coming my way or the intersection is blocked," he said, adding that emergency responders can sift through the deluge of 911 calls by cross referencing the calls with tweets and posts online, which also educate news reporters as they put out stories.

"It allows people to ask for help and offer help on this platform," he said. "If you post a photo of your car getting stuck in a sink-hole, someone nearby might say 'Oh, I have a Jeep with a wench — no need for emergency services."

Rebecca Rosenberg and Colin Sylvester contributed to this report.

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